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More on becoming a Non-Smoker

December 4, 2007 — EMC

Okay, 16 days! Yippee! This is the most awesome thing. Thank you God. I know I am not doing this by myself. My Higher Power is helping me every step of the way. I am so grateful that I can smell things, breathe without a rattle or cough, I can taste things, (sometimes the smell and taste thing isn’t so good, like fat free Cappuccino. Yuk!)

All this after only 16 days. Amazing how fast my abused body is healing itself. I have gained about 8 pounds but I have joined the gym and gone five times. My favorite is the cardio workout on the treadmill or bike. It is so cool to get my heart rate up and breathe heavy without wheezing or coughing. I recover pretty fast too. Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t all wonderful and lite. My body is healing and I want to sleep all the time. I used to be up at 5:00 or 5:30 a.m. every morning without fail, the same time every day. I didn’t need an alarm. Now I can’t get myself up with an alarm. I slept until 10:30 over the weekend. Very Weird. I guess my body isn’t waking me up for that nicotine fix. Last night I had to set my alarm across the room and set both alarms in case I kept snoozing it. One is set for the Radio and the other the alarm. The second one got me up. Very strange.

I have started to ween myself off of the Chantix now, its been three weeks on it. I am only taking it in the morning. I have had no cravings and Sunday I felt “normal”, (like when I was smoking but better), for the first time. I had some energy to get the laundry done, decorations up, (they have been sitting on my chair for a week.) I hope my energy level will continue to improve, after work I just sit on my butt. Even after I go to the gym I’m just tired. Kind of a lethargic feeling. I don’t like feeling that way but when I was smoking I didn’t exactly have a HIGH ENERGY level then. Hell, it wore me out just to walk to my car after work! What am I complaining about?

I found some things I had journaled earlier I wanted to share with you all:

Day 2- Today, 11/20/07 – My face is oily, I have a sharp deep cough, my shoulders are tense and hurt – My whole body sometimes shakes a lot,(this is still happening, not as frequently though,) my toes are moving constantly, (still happening.) My feet or legs are moving constantly, tapping, etc. I’m in a fog. Scared to go home. I don’t wit where I used to, my favorite spot on the couch with the end table on the right. Now I sit in the chair or lay on the couch or sit in the middle of it. I’m not comfortable at home. When I get home I have to get busy right away. Fix me something to eat and find a place to sit that won’t remind me of smoking or being too comfortable. I have to be uncomfortable for now. When i got up this a.m. I made me a bowl of cereal a.s.a.p. Got a swig of water because my mouth was dry and so gross!!. I may swish with mouth was tomorrow first thing. I slept with the window open last night, 57 degrees and 75 in the day. I could breathe the fresh air. I can breathe when I lay down now, no rattle or wheezing, I can actually breathe! Sometimes I cough but, just once, not 20 times, how weird is that? I wish I could quit moving my toes, feet, lets, without being aware of it.

Day 4 – 11/22/07 – Had some trouble sleeping last night. Kept waking up sweating. I guess it is called night sweats. Deep Breathing seems to really help me get past the craves. I’m tired today, as usual. Worked out at gym for 2-hours last night. Some sore muscles today but not bad really. It’s cold today 35 degrees, crazy Kansas weather. No headache today, still hot, yesterday I was cold. Sore throat, teeth hurt, toes still wiggling even at night, very dry Thanksgiving today. I have much to be thankful for.

Some of these things I had forgotten and I am so much better today than I was then. Still wiggling toes, occasional headache, sore throat, no more night sweats. Deep breathing is the best deterrent.

Found another great site today www.smokefree.gov it has information for whatever stage you are at in you quit. Even if you are just thinking about it. Take care of you! More later…